So...what the hell's wrong with you, Shooter?

Shooter, I wish you the best of luck for your continual recovery.

I've been ill (dizzyness, almost passing out, weak left arm, chest pains, burning throat, swollen glands, twitching muscles, burning/pinching at joints) since June and I just fell out with my NHS (UK) doctor this week and went private.

The NHS doctor has been telling me its a virus and it'll go away on its own, and the muscle twitching was normal for a few days. I finally went back last week (have been back 3-4 times before that) when he was promising me a blood test to check for an infection and he is refusing me, he says we only have 10 minutes and I have too many symptoms, and even that he never said it was a virus infection.

So the few symptoms that he will look at are sending us down completely the wrong path, I don't want to keep chasing symptoms when we should be going after the cause.

I called the NHS directly and they told me to demand a blood test, but the doctor still declines. He even went as far as to tell me I don't have the symptoms I was telling him I had.

So on Wednesday this week I called a private doctor, got an appointment two hours later, she looked at my entire list of symptoms (15~) and checked me over, confirmed I have an extremely high temperature, inflamed throat and swollen glands. Had my blood tests today and I'm going in for the results tomorrow. That's more action in 3 days than my NHS doctor managed in over 3 months. I just hope it'll all be over now, as I've been trying to launch a business throughout this.

Before contacting the private doctor I felt like id slipped through the net and it was useless. I've not even been checking HN much lately so it was pure randomness that I stumbled upon this thread.

I still have a referral for neurological tests and a brain scan with the NHS if required. But I have been adamant that its not a family running disease because both my Mother and Sister have the same symptoms, all occurring since roughly the same date. If it wasn't for that id possibly still be following a (hopefully) less likely route.

A drop in the water compared to what you've been through, but I think I can relate at least a little to some of the initial frustrations that you've had to deal with. Thanks for sharing your story and I'm glad that you eventually pulled through all the confusion and are getting the treatment you need.

Insurance companies are neither Good nor Evil. That's absurd. They're simply in the unenviable position of having to be the decision makers in the distribution of a scarce resource (health care).

Saying the insurance companies are evil is no more informed than the people who railed at the Obama administration for suggesting that end of life care should be rationed.

The most fundamental issue is that health-care is so damned expensive in the US. That's why we get in the degenerate situation we're in now where it seems like insurance companies are the arbiters of who shall live and who shall die.

NICE doesn't face the same choices as insurance companies.

NICE picks treatments based on trying to get the best results for the whole population whilst only spending a finite amount of money.

Insurance companies pick treatments based on trying to get the largest amount of profit compatible with people being willing to carry on paying for insurance.

The problem is not in the conflict of interest - other types of insurance work mostly OK. The problem is that the health insurance companies can somehow get away from their obligations without being sued to death. Maybe that's because of vague contracts, or maybe something else. I don't know the exact reason.

Maybe the bitterness and anger is a good thing. You should be angry, I sure as hell would be. We all should be, your story is horrifying. But I think you're in an amazing position, and may not realize it. Your wife is a director at a research hospital, and, while I don't know who you are personally, I'll assume you're well connected in the tech world (otherwise why would you post this here). You obviously know very intimately what is wrong with the healthcare system.

That's a very unique position of power, whether you think so or not. You have the ability to affect great change, especially with what's happening with health care in the U.S. right now. You -apparently- have some money (at least more than I do), connections, an amazing story and anger, a great motivator.

I think everyone can understand if you can't, or you won't, but if it's in you, step up, pull strings, work behind the scenes, work in the spotlight, tell your story, influence who you can and get this fixed. This is still the greatest country in the world, and the ability for citizens to step up and fix what's broken is what makes it great.

That's just my two cents, for what it's worth. And my apologies for the semi-patriotic rant at the end there. ;) I wish you the best as you continue this battle.